The proportion of participants free from HIV-transmission risk [ Time Frame: Over a 9-month period ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

A self-reported assessment will measure several aspects of HIV risk-taking behaviors, including a measurement of any high risk behavior (sexual or injection-related) as well as measurements of event-level (i.e., partner-by-partner) behaviors. "Any" risk behavior will be dichotomously parsed as those who have engaged in HIV transmission risk behaviors with those of unknown or HIV negative status. Urine toxicology tests will also be used to collect substance use data.

ART Adherence will be assessed by self-report using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and pharmacy refill data.

Other Outcome Measures:

ART Adherence will be assessed by self-report using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and pharmacy refill data. [ Time Frame: Over a 9-month period ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Viral load (VL) will be measured in terms of mean change in VL from baseline to the final (9-month) follow-up point. An alternative approach will be the proportion of subjects with a non-detectable (<400 and <50 copies/mL) VL, and mean change in cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) lymphocyte count. Missing VL will be treated as VL>400 or VL>50 copies/mL.

3H+ (Holistic for HIV) group patients will receive the standard of drug treatment care (i.e., methadone maintenance treatment and case management) plus four weekly 60-minute HIV risk reduction groups, and a 60-minute booster session at 12 weeks, led by two facilitators trained and supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist. 3H+ is an HIV risk reduction and ART adherence intervention that provides coping skills training and is delivered in a group modality, addressing high risk drug- and sex-related HIV risk behaviors and ART adherence for opioid-dependent individuals living with HIV.

Behavioral: 3H+ (Holistic Health for HIV)

Four weekly HIV-risk reduction groups and an additional booster group held at week twelve summarizing the previous sessions' content, designed for opioid-dependent individuals living with HIV.

Active Comparator: HHRP+ Group

HHRP+ (Holistic Health Recovery Program) is comprised of 12 two-hour weekly manual-guided group sessions with comprehensive HIV risk reduction content that addresses the medical, emotional, and spiritual needs of opioid-dependent individuals living with HIV. Each session is designed to last 2 hours and is co-facilitated by two trained facilitators, who address potential motivational conflicts of HIV+ individuals by providing them with self-protective as well as altruistic reasons for examining and changing their HIV risk behaviors and improving adherence behavior. Material is presented using cognitive remediation strategies.

HIV-infected drug users (DUs) remain a target population as they represent a significant vector for the transmission of new HIV infections (Avants et al., 2004; Margolin et al., 2003), which occur through preventable drug- and sex-related HIV risk behaviors. Though numerous evidence-based HIV risk reduction interventions are now widely available as complete intervention packages, few evidence-based interventions have been designed for implementation within common drug treatment community-based organizations (CBOs), such as methadone maintenance programs (MMPs), where many high-risk HIV-infected drug users seek treatment. Moreover, the few evidence-based interventions that are applicable to drug treatment CBOs are not designed to be "community-friendly" and, hence, are unlikely to be implemented as intended or durable within these critical settings.

The investigators have developed a significantly shortened version of the comprehensive evidence-based Holistic Health Recovery Program (HHRP; Avants et al., 2004; Margolin et al., 2003). This shortened version, Holistic Health for HIV (3H+), has demonstrated feasibility and acceptability as well as preliminary evidence of effectiveness in an uncontrolled study within a resource-limited drug treatment CBO. Therefore, this randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial (RCT) will test the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of 3H+ versus the original gold standard evidence-based intervention(EBI), Holistic Health Recovery Program for HIV+s (HHRP+), targeting HIV+ drug users (DUs).

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

HIV positive

Opioid dependent and enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment

Report drug- or sex-related HIV risk behavior in previous 6 months

Able to read and understand the questionnaires, the Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (ACASI), and consent form

Available for the full duration of the study with no anticipated circumstances impeding participation

Not actively suicidal, homicidal, or psychotic as assessed by trained research staff under the supervision of the PI who is a licensed clinical psychologist in Connecticut.

Exclusion Criteria:

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01741311